life is a maze and love is a riddle
by Lyric Medlie
Summary: Andre realizes that he is so misunderstood. Everybody had it all wrong.


_**disclaimer: **_I don't own Victorious. Mr. Schneider is all over that.

_**notes: **_Didn't know I shipped Candre until last night's episode—The Worst Couple. There were just so many moments between them and I just couldn't help but ship them so hard. So, yeah. I hope this makes sense and is somewhat enjoyable. The ending is kinda weak, but yeah. Maybe I'll write more for them soon. I just think they have something about them. Like when Andre said, "Don't start something you can't finish," or when they were talking about detective blowhole or, "Don't forget to get all fifty-two." But, at the same time, they could never work. I just can't see them working, but I want them to work. Anyway, I have a lot of feelings on them. Hopefully this story makes sense. Reviews are welcome, I'd love to know what you think. Thanks.

_**-life is a maze and love is a riddle-**_

He's confused as October comes and it gets dark earlier than normal, and school assignments become most important and its harvesting time, and people wear sweaters more often, and the seasons are changing just like every year. But this Hollywood and so instead of changing and falling leaves, it stays green, and when November rolls around it doesn't snow, the sun still shines insistently and it's normal. The ground isn't coated with flecks of white and Christmas comes and as time continues to flow, he's forced to remember all of those feelings he's tried to push away. He plays at the Asphalt Café with Tori Vega by his side, yet something feels _off_. Their voices are perfect in every way, they just _fit_ and he's really the reason she got into Hollywood Arts in the first place, but as his fingers glide against the piano keys and her beautiful voice is echoed through the microphone, it's just not what he wants. The crowd is alive and as he smiles down, he spots _her_. She's jumping excitedly, some stuffed animal in her grasps and a bright smile across her dimpled face. She's happy and he knows that she's _always_ happy. Smile's always grace her face and her wardrobe is full of pink. But then, Tori's arms are wrapped around him in celebration. The song they wrote is a hit and everybody loves it and they're all so happy, but he feels as if something's missing. But he honestly couldn't place his finger on something even if he tried, so he doesn't. He just smiles, and wraps an arm around Tori. He's happy.

**X**

She's rainbows and glitter and unicorns as she spins around with bright smiles. She raves about the moon and how she could've sworn she saw it smile down at her, or how the clouds make pretty shapes way up high. She brings a caterpillar to school, lets it crawl up her arm as she giggles excitedly, and as she hands it to him for a turn, electricity pricks at his fingertips and flows up his arm. They barely brush skin, but he feels as if every question he's had is answered. He gets it. He laughs, because the little fuzzy insect tickles against his skin and she jumps and claps her hand.

"He likes you, Andre!" She exclaims and Andre smiles over at her.

"He?"

"Yeah! This is Mr. Crawly! Get it! Because he crawls all around!" As she speaks, she spins in a circle, her red hair spinning around her.

"What a great name." Robbie speaks this time, and Cat smiles at him. It's wrapped with a look Andre can't explain, but whatever it is or whatever it meant is unsettling. And so he quickly gives the little creepy crawler back to the happy red-head, before walking down the hall to Tori's locker.

"Hey, Vega." He mutters and it's all over again because he and Cat weren't made for each other. They weren't made to have picnics on Sunday May afternoon's with the bright sun shining down on them. Nor were they made to go to the beach on July evenings, dinner on the pier. It's not in their cards, he realizes. And as Cat and Robbie go skipping by, he wonders if they were. He wonders if Cat and Robbie—the two who play pirates on the weekends and go to children movies when they're bored—he wonders if they were made for each other. And if so, who was made for him?

**X**

She's skipping by his side, and he finally plucked up the confidence to ask her out. It's not a date—not technically—but it's just the two of them and they're going out for milkshake's at a new little shop on the main street. They're walking because he doesn't have a car and they're under the bright April sun. He has a feeling of peace inside his chest and she has a constant stream of words flowing out of her mouth. They are two best friends, a one-sided crush and yet they're going out for what could be considered a date. Any passing byers might look at them and assume they were together. They might look at the way she wrapped her hands around his biceps as she excitedly pointed out something and make up some story on how they got together and how in love they are. They might assume by the way she was in a dress and he wasn't in jeans that they were going somewhere romantic. They might think that the little bud in her hair was from him, when in reality her brother had given it to her before she left. They weren't anything that anyone might assume, but he couldn't help wishing that they were—that when her fingers brushed against his own, she was really grasping his fingers with hers so that they could somehow be connected. He wishes they are so many things they weren't, and that when her phone beeped she didn't take it out, giggle and text the person back. He wished it were a proper date and that she had no other distraction.

"Who you texting, Cat?" He asks her slightly obviously.

"Jadey." Cat smiles.

"Jade? You guys text?"

"All the time." Cat nods. "We're best friends."

"Oh yeah." Andre smiles. "What's she saying?"

"Words." Cat told him. "She just texted me some words."

"Of course." Andre nods, a chuckle brushing his lips. "Well that's fun."

"Yeah. Jade's bored and she wants me to go over to her house."

"Are you going?"

"I'm with you silly!" Andre couldn't help but feel triumphant. "But I told her she could come with us."

"You did?"

"Yeah! Ooh, she texted me!" Cat presses her pearphone GX, before squealing. "She says she'll meet us there!"

"Oh yippee." Andre grumbles, but Cat doesn't notice. She just points out a big sign for Pini's, going on about how they're opening up their first California restaurant and how she can't wait to go and Andre wishes he could listen, maybe even ask if she'd like to go with him. But he doesn't. He doesn't because he wants to go to Pini's as Cat's boyfriend, not as Cat's friend while Jade, Tori, Robbie and Sinjin tag along. He wants to be _**Cat&Andre**_ not _Cat__**and**__Jade__**and**__Tori__**and**__Robbie__**and**__Beck__**and**__Sinjin__**and**__Trina__**and**__Andre_.

Soon, they're at Hollywood's new milkshake parlor. It's dressed as if it's from the sixty's or the fifty's or some other era Andre doesn't really know. It's happy and the atmosphere is comforting and has a feel to it that Andre can't explain. Cat drags him over to a little booth on the right side. It has a large photograph beside it of a cat and dog wearing sunglasses. It's black and white and Cat's giggling, holding onto her tummy as she closes her eyes and tips her head back and goodness, she's never looked so beautiful.

"Look at them, Andre!" She exclaims and Andre smiles. "It's a cat-" giggle "and a dog-" laugh "wearing sunglasses!" A soft lull of the music mixed with her happy proclamations fills Andre up and he wants to just kiss her. He wants to run his hands through her red velvet hair and rub his thumbs against her cheeks. He wants to be the one who makes her feel better when she's down. He wants to be the one she runs to when she's upset and he wants to sing duets with her, their voices drifting far and wide because they're perfect. It's not like that though.

They get up and order their milkshakes. She gets Strawberry and he gets Banana. There's toppings, of course, and she adds the multi-colored sprinkles, Oreo crumbs, gummy bears, kitty fruit snakes, chocolate syrup, blueberries and raspberries while he just squirts a clump of whipped cream onto the top of his own. They're so different, yet they're so similar. He's simple and she's extravagant—he cannot stop thinking about her.

They're sitting back at the cute little booth sharing simple conversation when the door to the small parlor is thrown open, a black clad beautiful nightmare storming in.

"Jadey!" Cat stands up as she races to the girl, meeting her in the middle of the shop. "I ordered your chocolate."

"Good." Jade follows Cat, the two of them sliding into Cat's side of the booth. "Hey, dreads." Jade nods across to Andre, and he nods back.

"Hey."

"Banana?" She raises her eyebrows and Andre nods again. "I thought you were a 'chocolate sort of guy'?" She uses air quotations.

"I am. But Tori told me to try the banana."

"Oh. Where is Vega?"

"I don't know."

"I thought you two were like always together." Jade questioned him and he shook his head.

"Not really."

"Oh." Jade nods again, before going with Cat to go get her milkshake, and whilst they're gone Andre realizes that he is so misunderstood. Everybody had it all wrong. Sure Tori was one of his best friends and one of his favorite people to hang out with, but he wasn't into her like that. He loved Cat.


End file.
